THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13378, 20 March 1909, Page 6

THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

HOW A CHANGE WOULD APpßr* '"' TRAMWAY TRAFFIC. >' A phase of tho ogitation for _r.Br" ing the weekly half-holiday fo-, _C** from Thursday to Saturday, not appear to have' been ***o*wid«_-»_i_ L ' i "* the - advocates of Saturday, probable effect that tho* c__T* would have on the trimwuv traffic jj? receipts. Possibly it has been cc__a - erod tliat if the change were the traflic would scon readjust i__?But from enquiries made by a ''-ftS*' * reporter, a different view of t!_" matter is hold by those who qualified to speak with auWioritr i_ ' gai-dmg the probable effects on ___" way traffic of the proposed «____" They contend that a - amount of Saturday night traffic tto_S be lost and that any additional iS_ fie on Saturday afternoon that ■_!»_ arise from larger attendances atc___ and football matches would not iu__! compensate for the loss of the e»Ti trafhc. Some idea of the extent <rfA* J Saturday night traffic may b© £„•„_* from the fact that on all lines. iS? the exception of the New -_r&__!* Sumner, cad Riocarton line-, necessary to run _ ten mbut«-"%_L * and that it is necessary to har* __n* attached to almost all'thr elcctr^* 11 it. is tho present, custom for Urc-j _r** bers of people employed on t_©/,„_ m the suburban districts *rou_r*__city to come to town on Saturdav*__f ing after their week's work 1»» «_S" It is almost certain that if JvC? B*'8*' were made the late night all this _S_ would be lost. The compulsory of drapers', grocers', and ot__^S!? 8 on Saturday afternoon and '„» ** would result in the loss of mar» I __* sengcrs, who at present do their ■£_"' ping on Saturday evening. As t_t_> probability of an increased trs__ Ssports grounds on Saturday aftoraw in the event of the shops h«lf.hQ__s„ being changed, it is contended *_._* is highly improbable tliat there, •ffltj' any appreciable increase. At m_J| tbe traffic on the trams on T___rf afternoon is nothing out of tho _d_ ary -, in the summer the train trsffioZ Wednesdays exceed, that on T_un__f. Under present conditions many wit-' get the half-holiday on T}iur_l«» wS " the afternoon iv their ga relent** is very likely that they wou!ds__ibri! spend Saturday afternoon, lb-, ,? thorities referred to oonsidGr, _fw taking all the circumstances into c__ J --deration* ■ that to change the «_o_» half-holiday in this city to SaW* would have a disastrous effect _t __ tramway receipts, and that, if *C. city's tramway system is expected., show a profit, it would bo oxtrem-li unwise to interfere with the c-__H_t state of affairs. ™

The secretary of the Thursday Ha», Holiday Committee has received aiefci ter from the secretary of t!>o E_eeuti»' of the North CanUubury F*-in«-*-" Union covering the following "remit* tion arrived at by tho | 'That while not wishing to interfere with tho townspeople, • t_W Executive arc of opinion that it -rmjUf be preferable that Thursday bp H* tamed as the weekly half-holiday.*! WA deputation representing thoßalikS day Half-Holiday Association" wait*!-' on the Linwood Citizens' las': night and advanced reasons hit&i your of tho proposal to change shops' half-holiday from Thursday %p Saturday. Mr Inglis, one of tin •mutation, whilst in favour of _at__Si* being the universal half-ho_day,'»-(i_fr l that he thought it would be umtissjM irclude hotels, railways and tn&mjfflt If a largo city like Melbourne *'H"32-V make the change ther© was no--r_Sf' why Christchuroh should *aot/o_i_|li same. A half-holiday in the *_i6MJe_t--' .th« . week in many coses meant I '*Jj_jf& those who had it wero a pertain, dejrreo for work' ttoi___T day. Mr Gait contended BS*_S family, aspect of tho ouestion'Mffofrf portant. A father who got3*»?s_P' holiday on Thursday hod tunity, except on Sundays, to"_4effl_"f his children, who were nt considered Saturday night lo'jieAjt absolute evil on tho face of ni one who had any sclf-ix*_peci had any desire to see the city to improve, could. hare wiwMjijl other than horror as tbey parade on Saturday night. It w_kJWJj'* to see that they were not d_co*iij)g*« politics or the next day's Sunday"*Kb*fii lessons. By wiping out they would be- doing a thing in. raising the moral to_e"<ajwi| young people. Ho was sorry t_ftfc[mgtq could not include the hotels'Sa'aHfe wish to introduce tho __t_rd«y.fliup holiday. V'**'® to the Eurron of "the *-****__*£?*||**c Sir, —Mr Badger's first letter,to,fS&| Press" on tho above, question wif*Jf»%*| that both sides should fight oujjJWf matter fairly on, its merits, out what seemed to him, wilfulr a resentation. on the part of *w_-_-"*j*»l||fl Saturday. Since then a, _3put_t*_*£j|i well-known retailors have amongst others, suburban asking for funds, and upon refusal and a declared intention •*.*?|__l port the Saturday movement, the ii»ot*s have descended to threaten "r-tolfiwjjjts by tho cutting of prices much" **HS_|_ their marke-tablo value. They ,M?_lb mon enough to squander -the.**- »__3f|? money only in tho fight, bat due and unfair pressure to heirW* those who hold an opposite themselves, or who are content igjXfc the public settle the matter,' Jtjm* rely upon the public for tne h-J"__wijft and use the money gained th_(*W»TM*Cff;_ upset our private and business tions, preventing their assistante'fig*; taking any part whatsoever in uiday movement, showing how in this day of advancement some ?/*_££ employers of labour are. Even' « »gD. greatest vested interest were at **t*_V"j. the public is too. British not to demn utterly such tactics. I am •*""%.- ---the Town Clerk is ignorant of tbavaajgt ncr in which an officer sent to •* sl *!_"_P~_B ? gate a latch key voters claim, <*?"*_■_?*' tho - landlady's voracity and em**»oj**., tho Council's time in picturing tha **o**** posed retailors' losses if Saturday ■*■*.'• carried, at any rate this may ptava**'* l its continuation, especially as I « B ___j_V. written the Town Clerk regarding conduct. In the interests of fair **»»?• —Yours, etc.. ____ , 'z A RATEPAYER.^: